5 Trades Cavs Must Consider Right Now
The Cleveland Cavaliers cannot afford to remain in a holding pattern if they want to keep LeBron James.
The NBA draft came and went without them making a splash. The start of free agency might, too. They're reticent to do anything of consequence because "they have been stymied in attempts to meet or discuss scenarios with James," according to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski.
Playing it safe is fine...if the Cavaliers are prepared to lose him. Exploring drastic measures, on the other hand, should earn them the faintest bit of extra real estate in his heart.
In this world, the Cavaliers are pulling out all the stops to sway James or have received word he's coming back. These trade ideas are humbly presented with that in mind.
Rookies will be treated as actual salaries in every proposal, so the assumption is they're getting dealt 30 days after signing their first deal. Delayed trades are hardly foreign this time of year—Dwight Howard to Brooklyn, for instance—and using Collin Sexton as a financial chip increases Cleveland's capacity to take on money.
Baby Steps with Bazemore
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Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: SG/SF Kent Bazemore
Atlanta Hawks Receive: SG JR Smith
Kent Bazemore is more of a touch-up target for the Cavaliers—someone they acquire on the heels of a bigger move or after finding out James is staying put.
Bazemore is defensively interchangeable at the shooting guard and small forward spots. He'll even hang with some point guards. He brings secondary ball-handling to the offensive end without accompanying ball dominance.
More than a quarter of his field-goal attempts this past season came as catch-and-shoot threes, on which he shot 42 percent. He was lights out from the corners (43.6 percent) and fared noticeably better coming off screens (56.1 effective field-goal percentage) than JR Smith (46.2).
Swallowing the two years and $37.4 million left on Bazemore's deal shouldn't be a problem for the Cavaliers. James will have a field day with him on offense, and he'll be a defensive asset for Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors Part V.
Smith has no future with the Hawks. They don't need him to. They're more interested in getting off Bazemore's money. They offered to swap him for Wesley Matthews' expiring deal in the Luka Doncic trade, but the Dallas Mavericks instead opted to send back a protected first-rounder, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein.
Subbing out Bazemore for Smith saves Atlanta a ton. He's owed $14.7 million this year with only $3.9 million guaranteed in 2019-20, bringing his total commitment to $18.6 million—an $18.8 million difference from Bazemore. The Hawks could shave off even more of that money in prospective buyout negotiations, freeing them up for big-time flexibility in 2019.
The Kemba Walker Face-Lift
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Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: SG/SF Nicolas Batum; SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist; PG Kemba Walker
Charlotte Hornets Receive: PG George Hill; C Kendrick Perkins; PG Collin Sexton ($4,033,800); SG JR Smith
Though Collin Sexton wasn't a popular pick at No. 8, he serves dual purposes for the Cavaliers.
James is apparently a fan of the point guard. It never hurts to take his feelings into consideration. Well, OK, it does. The Miami Heat traded up to draft LeBron favorite Shabazz Napier in 2014, only to see their MVP leave anyway.
Indulging James' position here isn't as painful—mostly because Sexton is pretty good Kemba Walker bait.
"I heard one of the reasons Cleveland took Sexton was because they knew Charlotte liked him," The Ringer's Bill Simmons said during a recent episode of his podcast (h/t The Ringer's Haley O'Shaughnessy). "And if LeBron does decide to stay, they know they have the Sexton and [Jordan] Clarkson for Kemba trade sitting there."
Including Clarkson in this deal is fine. The Cavaliers could pull George Hill for him and additional salary filler. But they have to keep one of them for second-unit shot creation. Deploying Rodney Hood (restricted) ain't it.
This particular Kemba-to-Cleveland scenario is more complicated, but it suits the Cavs. They won't view the three years and $76.7 million remaining on Nicolas Batum's contract as a sunk cost. He beefs up their defensive switchability and should fare better out of the pick-and-roll as the third ball-handler.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist does little on the offense end outside of hitting the occasional mid-ranger and making infrequent cuts to the basket. Cleveland shouldn't care. He's another Warriors-proof defensive body. And who knows, playing beside James might help him crack double-digit three-point attempts for the first time of his career.
Walker is nearly everything the Cavaliers lost in Kyrie Irving. He doesn't have the yo-yo handles or 6'3" frame, but he's been called Kyrie Light more than a few times.
That compliment undersells him. The two point guards are closer than advertised. Walker is one of four players averaging at least 20 points, five assists and 38 percent shooting from deep over the past three seasons. His company: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and...Irving.
The Hornets should view Cleveland's hodgepodge offering as the inception of a rebuild. Sexton gives them a potential heir to Walker, and they're saving a boatload of money. They shed around $8.8 million from this season's payroll, and they'll cut next year's commitments by around $29 million if they take advantage of non-guarantees on Hill ($1 million) and Smith ($3.9 million).
Tack on the roughly $21.5 million they'll save by paying Sexton instead of Batum in 2019-20, and the Hornets are lopping off more than $59.3 in salary obligations over the next three seasons.
Kyle Lowry Couldn't Beat 'Em, so He Might as Well Join 'Em
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Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: PG Kyle Lowry; SG/SF CJ Miles
Toronto Raptors: PG George Hill; SG/SF Kyle Korver; PG Collin Sexton; C Ante Zizic
Toronto has a new head coach after promoting assistant Nick Nurse to succeed Dwane Casey. Could a new core be next?
Apparently, yes.
According to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, "there’s a reasonable chance" DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas have played their last game together. And given the near-nonexistent market for bigs who make more than chump change, this implies Toronto is willing to talk shop on its backcourt.
That doesn't mean the Cavaliers can churn out lowball offers for Lowry. The Raptors aren't looking to hold a fire sale, as Lewenberg explained:
"Publicly and privately, management continues to insist they have no intention of entering a rebuild or taking a step back in the short-term. If that’s the case, we can assume they aren’t prepared to trade either guard at a discount simply to unload their contracts or acquire picks or prospects. If they move those guys it will be for fair value and a return they believe puts them in a better position to compete."
Hill and Kyle Korver are a nice hedge against the present. They'll help the offense remain afloat, presumably beside DeRozan, in Lowry's absence.
Meanwhile, the Raptors also grab a couple of first-round fliers while cutting around $6.7 million in salary—maneuverability that could help them duck the luxury tax. They can save even more money next year by capitalizing on partial guarantees for both Hill ($1 million) and Korver ($3.4 million).
Lowry is another good stand-in for Irving. He's not a pull-up artist, but he's solid at creating his own offense when attacking downhill. Playing off James won't be a problem. Over 35 percent of his shots last year came as catch-and-fire triples; he drained 41.3 percent of those looks. His 6'0" profile is not an issue on defense. He's strong and quick enough to tussle with bigger guards.
CJ Miles isn't quite Batum or Bazemore, but he opens up the Cavaliers' defensive mobility without cannibalizing offensive touches. More than 40 percent of his possessions ended in spot-up opportunities last season, and he's no stranger to rotating between 3s and 4s thanks to the short time he spent alongside Paul George in Indiana.
Mortgaging It All for John Wall (After July 26)
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Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: C Ian Mahinmi; PG John Wall
Washington Wizards Receive: PG George Hill; C Larry Nance Jr.; SG/SF/PF Cedi Osman; PG Collin Sexton
Nothing out there suggests the Wizards are open to trading John Wall. But a more proactive organization would consider it. His four-year, $169.3 million extension takes effect in 2019-20. They shouldn't want any part of that deal, which pays him $46.9 million during his age-32 season (player option).
The Cavaliers don't have the assets to coax teams into moving superstars not actively on the block. They come pretty close here. They give the Wizards a nice stash of future pieces, including a possible point guard of the future in Sexton, while unburdening them from the final two years and $31.4 million on Ian Mahinmi's contract.
Washington isn't punting on next season by jettisoning Wall. The offense will survive on a steady diet of ball-handling from Hill, Bradley Beal, Tomas Satoransky and, ahem, Austin Rivers. Otto Porter Jr. can run some pick-and-roll if given a longer offensive leash.
Nance is the cheaper, lighter, switchier alternative to Mahinmi. He'll require a re-investment next summer in restricted free agency, but he won't fetch anything near the latter's price point.
More respect needs to put on Cedi Osman's name. He's a gleeful worker with some decent off-ball tricks. His sub-$3 million salary is a good insurance policy against Satoransky (restricted) or Kelly Oubre Jr. (restricted) costing too much money in 2019.
Wall's fit with James will concern the Cavs. It should. He's not a reliable shooter. He drilled 37.1 percent of his triples last season but falls in love with dumpy long twos. He shot under 29 percent on looks between 10 feet and the three-point line.
Cleveland cannot afford to give a damn. James needs another star shot creator next to him. He made it work with Dwyane Wade for a few years. He'll find a way to jell with Wall. Head coach Tyronn Lue can break up the overlap by using James as the roll man and calling for more cuts off baseline screens for Wall.
4-Team, 15-Player Kawhi Leonard Mega-Buster
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Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: C Bismack Biyombo; PF Jonas Jerebko; SF Kawhi Leonard; PG/SG Patty Mills; SG Terrence Ross
Orlando Magic Receive: SG Grayson Allen ($2,056,580); SG Alec Burks; SG/SF/PF Cedi Osman; PG Collin Sexton; C Ante Zizic
San Antonio Spurs Receive: C Mo Bamba ($4,823,520); PG George Hill; SG/SF Kyle Korver; C Ekpe Udoh; lottery-protected 2019 first-round pick (via Utah); 2021 conditional first-round pick (via Cleveland)
Utah Jazz Receive: PF/C Kevin Love
Let's start things off with the Magic. They love Mo Bamba. Like, really love him. It may take more for them to even think about moving him. Cleveland can work in Larry Nance Jr. and absorb DJ Augustin if it comes to that.
Still, this is a good starting point. Orlando is getting the No. 8 (Sexton) and No. 21 (Grayson Allen) picks, a nice wing prospect (Osman), another big-man prospect (Ante Zizic) and escaping Bismack Biyombo's deal (two years, $34 million)—all for what amounts to retroactively dropping back two spots in the draft.
Viewed this way, perhaps the Magic consider green-lighting their participation. Bamba is an exciting project: long and active with exploratory outside range. But Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Nikola Vucevic are already on the docket.
The Jazz don't need to overthink this. Kevin Love is a fantastic fit alongside Rudy Gobert. They can afford to give up two non-lottery picks and expiring deals to get him—especially when his own contract situation (2019-20 player option) aligns with next summer's flexible cap sheet.
The Cavaliers should be similarly open to this mega-buster. They're taking on a lot of salary-cap dreck, but certain pieces help them. Terrence Ross is a quality marksman when healthy. Jonas Jerebko supplants the frontcourt spacing lost with Kevin Love. Patty Mills is a bench-mob sparkplug who can soak up time with other ball-dominant scorers.
Paying Biyombo through 2019-20 with both Nance and Tristan Thompson in tow is less than ideal. But the Cavaliers will do it. They should do anything if it means getting Kawhi Leonard to partner up with James.
After the Magic, the Spurs are the next-toughest sell. Other teams can offer more for Leonard—most notably the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. This package is a good now-and-later alternative if none of those parties will mortgage everything for a soon-to-be free agent working off a major quad injury. San Antonio is already playing hardball with Los Angeles, per Shelburne, Windhorst and Woj.
Putting Bamba in the Spurs' system is a dream. They have warmed up to rim-runners in the recent past (Dewayne Dedmon) and don't shy away from letting bigs dabble in perimeter duty. And Bamba would easily be the most versatile defender they've enjoyed in the frontcourt since prime David Robinson. (No disrespect intended, Tim Duncan. You're one of the highest-IQ and effective stoppers of all time.)
Plopping Hill and Korver into the rotation keeps the Spurs competitive if they're not looking to rebuild. Their partial guarantees in 2018-19 are nice cap-clearing components next July. Utah's first-rounder is gravy. Cleveland's 2021 pick (assuming its 2019 selection conveys to Atlanta) is the meat and potatoes. It could end up being a late selection, or San Antonio may find itself with a top-shelf lottery pick following the involuntary dissolution of the Cavaliers' superstar core.
Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com or Basketball Reference. Salary and cap-hold information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by B/R's Andrew Bailey.
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